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The living evidence base for romance scam research

Find the studies, inspect the evidence, understand what is known, and see the questions that still need answers.

We do not host documents. All items link to publisher or repository pages.

Research corpus at a glance

Approved publications
220
Living syntheses
7
Quality-cleared synopses
220
Corpus updated

How RSRC Uses AI

AI helps RSRC organize and summarize research. Outputs may contain errors; verify findings in the linked original source.

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Explore the research

Search approved publications by title, author, DOI, topic, year, or research method.

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See what the evidence says

Read living syntheses that connect findings across publications and identify uncertainties and research gaps.

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Research Insights

Synthesis and analysis across the corpus

Corpus-level findings that connect evidence across multiple publications and make uncertainties and research gaps visible.

Living Evidence Synthesis

Attack Methods and Offender Strategies

Attack Methods and Offender Strategies: How Offenders Identify, Approach, Groom, Deceive, and Exploit Targets

Across the reviewed, human‑approved evidence, relationship‑based frauds are described as multi‑stage social‑engineering sequences: studies identify five distinct stages and four main Stage‑3 money‑request trajectories. Fake profiles are reported as a key initial mechanism for att...

Publications:
33
Evidence statements:
331
Read the living evidence synthesis
Living Evidence Synthesis

Prevention and Intervention

Prevention and Intervention for Online Romance and Relationship-Based Scams: Evidence Synthesis

Reviewed evidence supports a layered, stage-aware prevention and intervention approach that prioritizes: (a) stage-linked recognition triggers and linked verification behaviours; (b) small-scale interactive education prototypes that show feasibility but limited generalizability;...

Publications:
38
Evidence statements:
153
Read the living evidence synthesis

Research Library

Recently curated publications

Individual studies and reports recently added to the approved collection.

View 1

“Elder Scam” Risk Profiles: Individual and Situational Factors of Younger and Ol...

The article investigates how individual characteristics and daily activities relate to online fraud victimization, and whether these patterns differ between younger (18–54) and older (55+) adults. The study combines the...

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Introduction to Cryptocurrency and Digital Asset Fraud and Crime

The publication offers a structured survey of fraud and crime in the cryptocurrency and digital asset space, aiming to raise awareness of how scams arise as the technology and markets expand. It describes a broad landsca...

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Developing online deception literacy while looking for love

The article presents a neutral, source-based synopsis of Catalina L. Toma’s 2016 response to Payal Arora and colleagues’ work on online romance in the global south, focusing on the emergence of “online deception literacy...

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Browsers and phone girls: the intricate socialities of friendship, trust and cyb...

This publication examines how youth in the Nima zongo of Accra organize social life around everyday friendship, mobility, and online connections, and how these forms of relatedness shape their ambitions and daily realiti...

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No laughing matter

This article investigates how online fraud victimization is framed and understood, focusing on the social dynamics that shape victims’ experiences. The study aims to illuminate the negativity surrounding online fraud and...

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The reporting experiences and support needs of victims of online fraud

This publication presents the results of in-depth interviews with a sample of 80 individuals from across Australia who lodged complaints about online fraud involving losses of $10,000 or more over the preceding four year...

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Online love fraud and the experiences of indonesian women: a qualitative study

This publication presents a qualitative, phenomenological examination of Indonesian women who experienced online love fraud. It aims to illuminate the psychosocial impact of such scams on victims, focusing on how decepti...

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About RSRC

Built to make romance scam research usable

Founded by LD Herrera, PhD, RSRC organizes romance scam scholarship into a searchable public library and living evidence syntheses for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the public.

Learn about RSRC and its founder